Italian, for me, has always been the one that got away. At school, French and Latin came easily, but for some reason I chose German as my third language. After getting into university to study French and Italian, I decided I’d rather lie around reading novels for three years and switched to English. In my 20s, I signed up for an evening class, but it was full and I was bumped into Spanish. Though it’s far more useful – the second-most widely spoken language in the world – Spanish just wasn’t the same.

The institute is located in a recently restored historical building right in the city center of Siena. Premises have 25 well-lit classrooms, panoramic terraces, leisure reading room, recreation room and piano, a well-stocked library, free WiFi connection, a full professionally equipped kitchen and frescoed dining room.

The friendly staff and docents will help and support you every step of the way. With DA you study Italian and have the opportunity to learn much more. DA Siena also offers 24/7 emergency assistance, housing services, internships in Italy, exciting afternoon and weekend social and co-curricular activities and much more!

DA Siena operates a unique system of Continuous Enrollment in which students are able start a course on just about any Monday of the year depending on the individual's language level. There are six different language levels which are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Students take a written and spoken placement test in order to assess the most appropriate language level. All courses are intensive and cover as many linguistic areas as possible which is ideal for those who are looking forward to learning Italian in Italy.

The administrative and teaching force at Dante Alighieri Siena is composed of a highly specialized international team, from caring professors with experience teaching foreign exchange students to a knowledgeable staff with their own study abroad experiences. Each member is committed and works together to enhance our student's international education experience, helping them to succeed in becoming culturally aware global citizens.

Italiano A1

This course is an introduction to the study of Italian for those who have had no previous contact with the language. The course covers the basic points of Italian grammar. The students will concentrate on four aspects of communication; oral expression (speaking), writing, oral comprehension (listening), and reading on a basic level. They will acquire basic knowledge of Italian culture. Attention is given to correct pronunciation of Italian, with special emphasis on sounds that may be difficult for native speakers of English. The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the study of Italian language and culture.

Italiano A2

Following Italian A1, this course offers a logical continuation of the study of Italian grammar after the first semester. The student will learn more advanced grammar concepts, especially with attention to the past tenses. At the same time, during the lessons, greater emphasis is placed on both written and oral (spoken and hearing comprehension) expressions. During class lectures, the student will understand written texts having to do with Italian life and culture and will increase the vocabulary needed for every day life in Italy

It's not often that a totally new way of learning languages comes along, especially one which isn't an app or reliant on technology. Power Play aims to make language learning realistic and interactive, and the idea is simple: All of the information that you would usually find inside a textbook is presented in bite-size chunks, on cards. The real genius of the idea is to turn the whole learning process into a game that can be played by one, two, ten, or even a whole classroom of people. A pack of Power Play cards will be a teacher or student's best friend, both inside and outside of the classroom.